Carrier-spacing device for pneumatic-dispatch systems



May 8, 1923. 1,454,169

W. J. HEPPERLE CARRIER SPACING DEVICE FOR PNEUMATIC DISPATCH SYSTEMSFiled'June ll 1921 Patented ii/lay 8, i923.

imi'ra si a WILLIAM J. HEPPERLE, or BLOOMFIELD, niiwannsnyj ciiaainn-srioii e nnvion FOR PNEUMATIC-DISPATCH SYSTEMS.

Application filed June 11, 1921. Serial No. 476,370.

tems. i

In the operation of pneumatic dispatcl apparatus in which the carriersare delivered in succession from a pneumatic tube into selectormechanism designed to separate the carriers into two or-more classes, itis necessary, in order that the operation of the selector mechanism beeffectively performed to provide for preventing the arrival of thecarriers in the selector mechanism in uninterrupted contact with eachother. Devices are already known for spacing apart the arriving carriersjust before they reach the selector mechanism and the object of thisinvention is to provide an improved device of this general nature andparticularly to provide a device which will operate with a maximumdegree of positiveness and will be locked in its carrier interruptingposition until released by the carrier in advance.

With this end in View the invention consists in the provision of acarrier stopping device which is moved into position to interrupt thefollowing carrier by the advance of any given carrier, the carrierstopping device being locked in interrupting position by the engagementtherewith of-the leading carrier and released from its lockedinterrupting position by the continued movement of the leading carrier.By the time that the leading carrier has moved into engagement with thereleasing means a sufiicient distance has been provided between thesuccessive carriers to provide for the normal operation of the selectormechanism as the leading carrier enters therein. Meanwhile "thefollowing carrier which has been momentarily incaused to leave thespacing mechanism in spaced or se-paratedjorder thereby insuring theeffective operationof-the selector mech anism.

In the drawing in which a preferred "form of the invention is selectedfor illustration,

Figure 1 is a vertical section of a spacing device embodying theinvention and show-.

in a carrier arriving in the mechanism.

l igure 2 isa view similar to Figure 1 in which a carrier is shown aboutto leave the spacing mechanism and with a second carrier temporarilyheldagainstadvance position ofthe spacing device.

Referring to the drawing thereis shown at 1 the delivery end of asuitable pneumatic dispatch tube to which is attached a housing orcasing 2 for the spacing mechanism.

This mechanism consists-of a carrier stop ping member 3 pivoted at'thepoint't' ma;

housing l forming part of themain casing y. he,

2. The carrier stopping member 3 is pro- .vided with two arms 5 and 6projecting in position. to be engaged in alternation *by the descend ngcarriers 7 and .8. In the normal position ot the carrier stopping membershown inFigure 1 of the-drawing the upper. carrier engaging arm 6 isshown in Withdrawn position, this effect being brought about by theaction of the retractile spring 9. At the same time the lower arm 5 ofthe carrierstoppingmember 3 is pushed forward into position to be,engaged by the descending carrier 7 as willbe seen in Figure 1. n

In the operation of the device the descending carrier. 7 engages thelaterally extend.- ing arm 5 and swings the carrier stopping member 3about the pivot 4 into the position shown in Figure 2 of the drawing. Itwill. be seen that the arm 6 of the member 8 is:

spaced "from the lower arm 5 by just the as indicated'in Figure 1.By'ineans of this arrangement the arm 6 operates to push or kick thecarrier. Tlaterallyinto the exitend 10 of the casing 2, a fixed lug orpr'ojection 21 on, the baseaof the casing 2 serving to re carrier '7 andthereby cause the cai'rierto topple over endwise in a reversed positioninto the conduit or outletend of the casproper distance tocause the endof the arm I p strict the movement of thelower end of the i 3 by theengagement of a latch hook 11 proiii vided on the under side of the arm5 with a cooperating latch member 12 pivoted at 13 on a lug 1 1 andnormally held inlatch e'ngaging position by means of the spring 15. Thelatching of the member 3 in the position shown in Figure 2 of thedrawing causes the upper arm (3 of the member 3 to take a positionextending into the path of a succeeding arriving carrier 8 andmomentarily checks further movement of the car rier 8 as will be clear.2

In order to release the carrier 8 for further movement when the leadingcarrier 7 has proceeded a desired distance in its travel toward the exitend of the casing, a latch releasin member 16 is arovided which ispivoted at a point 17 on a lug 18 carried by the casing 2 and has acarrier engaging end 19 projecting through a recess 20 in the casing 2into position to be engaged and moved by the contact therewith of thecarriers as they pass downwardi througl'i the exit end 1.0 of the casing2. It will be seen that the engagement of the carrier '7 in Fig ure 2with the latch releasing arm 16 causes the latch member 12 to be movedout of en gz-rgement with the latch hook 11 on the arm 5 wherei'ipon thespring 9 acts to withdraw the arm 6 from its interrupted engagen'ientwith the following carrier 8. It will be ap parent that by this arranment when a leading carrier is emerging from the exit end 10 of thecasing 2 and arriving carrier is on the point of beginning its entranceto the casing 2 so that a full interruption of the travel of thefollowing carrier 8 is brought about which. provides the desired spacingbetween succeeding carriers.

It will be seen that by the use of themech anism described positivelyacting means provided for bringing about an interruption in the travelof folloving carriers so tha the positive and certain obtaining of the dsired spacing function is invariably secured.

' \Vhat i claim is: I

A ca 'rier spacing device for conveyor M comprising a movable memberadapted to be moved by a traveling ca rri a. into the path of afollowing carrier, means for locking the movable member in its in.-terrupting posit-ion, and means operated by the first carrier in itscontinued travel for releasi the locking means to clear the path of thefollowing carrier.

2. A carrier spacing device for conveyor systems comprising a pivotallymounted member adapted to be swung by a traveling carrierinto the pathof a. following carrier, means for locking the pivotally mounted memberin its path interrupting position,

and means projecting into the path of the first carrier and operable bythe engagement of the first carrier therewith to release the lockingmeans and permit the pivotally mountedmember to clear the path of thefollowing carrier.

3. A carrier spacing device for pneumatic dispatch systems comprisingapivotally mounted two-armed member, one of said engaged by theadvancing end of a traveling r rier to thereby ing the other arm intoeing agement with the other end of the carrier to push the carrier toone side, a. corn duit arranged to receive the displaced carruct thepath of a following carrier in its (.hsplacmg position dispatch systemscomprising a pivotally mounted member, one end of said pivota-llymounted member being arranged to be engaged by the lower end ofdescending carrier, a lined lug adjacent said end said pivotaily mountedmember, said other end of said member being arranged to be swung intoengagement with the upper end of said carrier to cause aid carrier totopple over S2ll.{llif-;8ti lug into a reversed end-for-end position, aconduit arranged to receive said (liSJiZLLLi carrier, andsaidsec-ond-named end of said member being arranged to obstruct the pathof a following carrierin its displacing position.

G. A carrier spacing device, for pneumatic dispatch tubes comprising apiv ota-lly mounted member, one end of said pivotally mounted memberbeing arranged to be engaged by the lower end of a descending carrier, afixed. lug adjacent said end of said pivotally mounted member, saidother end of said pivotally mounted membei heing arranged to be swunginto engagement with the upper end of said carrier to cause said carrierto topple over said fixed lug into a reversed position, a conduitarranged to re ceive said displaced carrier, said displaced second-namedend of said member being arranged to obstructthe path of a followingcarrier, means for locking said member in said obstructing position, andmeans operabie by said first-named carrier passing through said conduitto release said locking means.

WILLIAM J. HEPPERL-E.

r, and said second arm being arranged tov o A. carrier spacing devicefor pneumatic

